From Texas Standard : Texas is currently under a federal court order to fix its foster care system after allegations of child deaths in the system, high caseworker turnover, system mismanagement and a host of other problems. Foster care in Texas has been declared so dangerous it’s unconstitutional. Wednesday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced a possible solution : an $8 million pilot program, tapping federal money, to get the most at-risk kids in foster care into situations that are more...

In November, Nintendo immediately sold out of its NES mini, a throwback to its original 30-year-old gaming system. A San Antonio company is taking advantage of the resurgence in retro gaming systems. For the past three years, Eli Galindo has been creating new games for old systems like the Sega Genesis the Original Nintendo, and this game called 'Dork And Ymp' on Super Nintendo. His company Piko Interactive takes old games, ones that were previously unreleased or sometimes unfinished games...

San Antonio's City Council voted 9-2 Thursday to continue its ride-hailing agreement with companies like Uber and Lyft with up to three, one-year extensions to be decided by the city manager. The decision followed years of debate over what makes the public more safe. The taxi industry says ride-hailing companies should submit to mandatory fingerprint background checks, as the only way to keep passengers safe. Ride-hailing advocates focus on drunken driving, which has declined in arrests and...

From Texas Standard : Texas is currently under a federal court order to fix its foster care system after allegations of child deaths in the system, high caseworker turnover, system mismanagement and a host of other problems. Foster care in Texas has been declared so dangerous it’s unconstitutional. Wednesday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced a possible solution : an $8 million pilot program, tapping federal money, to get the most at-risk kids in foster care into situations that are more...

When state lawmakers meet in January they will once again square off over using public school dollars to pay for attending private schools. Opponents of that practice call it a voucher program. Supporters tend to call it school choice. And the debate during this next session will include special needs children.

A nineteenth case of Zika has been detected in Bexar County. Like the 18 other cases, this infection was acquired abroad. Despite cooling temperatures, mosquitoes breed year-round here. The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District is advising everyone to protect themselves against mosquito bites. Last week, Texas became the second state after Florida to report a Zika infection thought to have originated from a local mosquito bite. That was in Brownsville.

Diana Kennedy, often called the "Julia Child of Mexico," is a woman of strong preferences. She loves good butter and cream, Seville orange marmalade, black truffle shavings and escamoles (a caviar that comes from ant eggs). She hates the use of cassia (false cinnamon) in place of the real thing, canola oil, low- or non-fat dairy products, and nonstick pans. And don't get her started on kosher salt, which despite being the "beloved salt of virtually all American chefs," as she writes in

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid will give his farewell address Thursday on the Senate floor. The Nevada Democrat has served in Congress for 30 years, and as his party's leader in the Senate for 12. Reid tells Morning Edition's Rachel Martin that he — and many other Americans — are still anxious about the incoming Trump administration, but he sees reasons for optimism as well. "I've learned to accept the Trump election," he says. Interview Highlights On...

Arts & Culture

Mischievous imaginary creatures populate the folklore of Norway, and they loom large in the music of Edvard Grieg, whose home was even named “Troldhaugen (Troll Hill).” From “Peer Gynt,” with its spooky “Mountain King” music, to the “Elves Dance” in Grieg’s “Lyric Pieces,” the composer drew on Norse folklore and folk melodies for his piano tunes, and even the majestic A minor concerto, probably his most famous work. Pianist Alice Sara Ott pairs the concerto with a dozen of these delightful...

An Austin-based choral group is planning their San Antonio Christmas performance. The group is Conspirare , and their Art Director, Craig Hella Johnson, describes the group this way: "A musical family of singers who come from all over the country. From New York and Minneapolis and Seattle and some small places in between, and certainly we have some in Austin also."

Thank you, Mexico I've seen a fair number of Thanksgivings pass in my day, almost all of them spent in Texas, with friends and family. It's by far my favorite holiday since it is truly about being thankful for family, friends, and good food. I don't take it for granted. I spent six Thanksgivings in Mexico, an experience which, if anything, has enhanced my appreciation of this American Holiday. In 1981, I took a job playing in the Orquesta Filarmonica de la Ciudad de Mexico ...

Two years ago, President Obama began softening U.S. relations with Cuba, and earlier this year, more travel restrictions were eased , allowing educational travel to the island nation which had been cut off from America for six decades. Matt Dunne, a professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, saw an opportunity for him, and his students. “I’ve always wanted to go to Cuba. And I thought this would be a great way to go, and introduce some of my very favorite students to this beautiful...